SBS News

"Very Safe at Night, Perfect Neighborhood to Walk"... Tourists Flock and Open Wallets

Sim Useop

Published : Jul 27, 2026 7:37 AM

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In the first half of this year, the number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea surpassed 10 million, setting a record high for the first half of any year.

Reporter Sim Useop has more.

Insadong Street in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Despite the inclement weather, alleys are packed with foreign tourists.

Visiting in small groups with family or friends, they leisurely enjoy trips on their own personalized schedules.

[Matthew (28), Thomas (28) / French Tourists: We just started walking around yesterday so we haven't seen much yet, but the city itself is really great. (The vibe changes from day to night, and it's especially vibrant at night. I think that's a huge appeal.)]

Foreign tourists visiting Korea surpassed the 10 million mark in mid-June, an all-time record that is a month and a half faster than last year.

Monthly credit card spending by foreign tourists also exceeded 2 trillion won for the first time.

[Seo Ryul / Caricature Artist: People come from all sorts of countries, from Africa to South America, so compared to last year, I definitely feel that sales have improved a bit.]

Experts attribute this influx to the global popularity of K-culture, including K-pop, dramas, and food, alongside a weak Korean won and excellent tourism infrastructure.

The global travel magazine Time Out selected Seoul as one of the "world's best cities for walking" in April.

Seoul received high scores for its pedestrian infrastructure seamlessly connecting tourist spots and commercial districts, its public transportation network, and high safety and security.

[Chelsea (34) / American Tourist: I've never felt unsafe taking my baby out for dinner in the middle of the night. I feel like even if I have a few drinks, I can still get home safely.]

Another changing tourism trend is that visitors are moving beyond traditional tourist destinations to explore the everyday spaces of Koreans.

[Professor Lee Hoon / Department of Tourism, Hanyang University: Foreigners also want to visit places where young Koreans hang out, like Seongsu-dong or Ikseon-dong... It is shifting toward "lifestyle tourism," where they want to experience and share how locals enjoy their actual daily lives.]

With foreign tourists expected to surpass 20 million this year, experts advise that continuous efforts to strengthen competitiveness are needed to lead to repeat visits and tourism in regional areas.

(Video Editing: Lee So-young, VJ: Jung Han-wook)

※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.